The Court held that the requirement that an alien must live in an uninterrupted fashion in the Federal Republic of Germany for eight years before bringing in a spouse and children was not in conflict with Section 6 of the Constitution, which protects the family and marriage. It also held, however, that a requirement that an alien be married for three years before bringing in a spouse and children did conflict with Section 6 and constituted a particularly serious burden for young persons. These two waiting periods are imposed by the various Lander of the Federal Republic and vary in length from Land to Land.